There are many variables when aligning the wheels of a vehicle – Castor, Camber and Toe all need to be adjusted correctly to ensure your vehicle performs as the manufacturer intended.
Whilst it is possible to align your car from home, it is recommended you leave it to the professionals.
Learning how to align your car at home with a few basic tools can be helpful in scenarios where you can’t make it to an alignment shop. If you have replaced certain suspension components yourself, your alignment will be out, so it is important to get it close before attempting to drive it to your nearest alignment shop.
Checking your wheel alignment is a good idea if you notice your vehicle is handling differently from usual. Another sign you may need to check your alignment is by looking at your tyre’s tread – if you notice uneven wear across the width of the tyre, there is a good chance your alignment may be out.
You can check your vehicle’s Toe & Camber with a few basic tools; however, Castor is near impossible to measure accurately without an alignment rack. The good news is Castor will rarely change unless a suspension component is bent or damaged. The following guide will show you how to check your vehicle’s Camber and Toe measurements in the simplest way possible.
Park your vehicle on level ground and raise the front of the vehicle with a jack. If you can only do this one tyre at a time, this is ok. Make sure you set the vehicle down on jack stands before placing any limbs underneath the car. Ensure your steering wheel remains straight. If you would just like to check your vehicle’s Camber measurement, skip to Step 4.
Spin your vehicle’s tyre and apply white spray paint down the centre of the tread, making sure it is straight. Allowing the paint a few minutes to dry, use a scribe or sharp nail to make a thin line in the paint for an accurate measurement. Repeat this step for the other tyre.
Using the lines you made as a guide, measure from line to line on the front side of the tyres, ensuring the tape measure is level with the floor. Repeat this on the back sides of the tyres, ensuring the tape is level and the height as it was for the front reading. By comparing these two measurements, you will reveal the Toe measurement – it is important to account for measurements taken lower than the centre of the tyre for the actual Toe measurement. This process can be repeated for the rear of the car if necessary
To check Camber, it is important your vehicle is parked on a level surface. Place a straight edge across the wheel, ensuring it contacts each side of the wheel lip evenly. Press your angle finder across this straight edge and take note of the reading. Repeat this on the opposite tyre and compare readings. If there is more than ¼ of a degree difference, it is time to take your car for an alignment.
Whilst it is recommended you visit your local TYREPLUS dealer for all your alignment needs, you can make adjustments to Toe if absolutely necessary. Adjusting Camber can be difficult, especially on vehicle’s equipped with standard suspension. Adjusting Toe on the rear of most vehicles is difficult – most passenger cars will not have much adjustment here from the factory. It is recommended that you leave these adjustments entirely to the professionals.
You can begin adjusting the front Toe by loosening the tie-rod adjuster sleeves Adjust the tie-rods on each side the same amount, taking into account the measurement you took previously. This is usually a process of trial and error.
Front Toe is generally the most noticeable part of wheel alignment, as you will feel it under braking and when steering.